The new network drama “Deception” (NBC, 10 p.m.) plays like the first half of a glossier-than-usual Lifetime mystery, with the childhood friend of a dead heiress, now a cop, goes undercover into her mansion of secrets and suspect family members to suss out what happens.
It’s a big, good looking cast who do their jobs well. Meagan Good lives up to her name as the lead; a number of familiar names are involved from Victor Garber to Tate Donovan. But you almost get weary thinking where this series will go, if it’s given a shot to continue to a full season or more. Almost inevitably it will move to “Revenge” territory, stretching credulity into cul de sacs as the story evades conclusions at all costs.
What happens when news organizations stop reporting the news? That’s what happened along the Mexican border as ruthless drug cartels who didn’t like their coverage murdered or otherwise intimidated reporters trying to cover their ruthless reign.
Bernardo Ruiz’s “Reportero,” premiering tonight on “P.O.V.” (PBS, 10 p.m., check local listings) follows the fearless journalist at the newsweekly in Tijuana, Zeta, working diligently despite the threats and the facts of dozens of reporter murders in the region. At a time when One of the great documentary series in cable was the 2005 “The Staircase” (Sundance, 10 p.m.), that chronicled the trial against writer Michael Peterson in Durham. N.C., who police thought murdered his wife, found at the bottom of a staircase. Peterson insisted it was a fall, and there were a number of twists in the trial.
Jean-Xavier de Lestrade directed the series in a mesmerizing, empathetic manner that got the most out of his subjects. It gets a replay as a prelude to an unexpected new coda to the story in March. Here’s a chance to see the whole engrossing series again.
A new season starts for “The Bachelor” (ABC, 8 p.m.), which hasn’t had a subject for years that wasn’t a reject from a previous season. That’s the case again as smiley Texan Sean Lowe, who only finished third last season when Emily Maynard was doing the picking, is in charge of rose distribution and unaccountable swoons from a crowd of young women who should know better. I like to think they’re in the thing for the travel, accommodations and novelty.
It may sound like the name for operating instructions at an old gas station, but “Vanderpump Rules” (Bravo, 9 p.m.) is only the second spinoff of a “Real Housewives” franchise, featuring the doyenne of “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” as she presides over the staff at her L.A. restaurant Sur.
Two beloved ABC Family series are back with new episodes, “Switched at Birth” (ABC Family, 8 p.m.) trying to sort out the aftermath of the mixup thought fixed last season, and “Bunheads” (ABC Family, 9 p.m.), the series not about bakers but hopeful ballerinas, that plays like an update of “Gilmore Girls,” especially considering the participation of creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and its cast member Kelly Bishop. Sutton Foster stars.
For all of this seeming new programming, there’s still a lot of reruns on broadcast TV and a burned off episode of “The Mob Doctor” (Fox, 9 p.m.) to boot.
In the culmination of the college football season it’s the defending champion Alabama vs. Notre Dame (ESPN, 8:30 p.m.) in the BCS Championship Game.
The new “Black Ink Crew” (VH1, 9 p.m.) is the latest tattoo parlor series but the first set in Harlem, with a clientele that includes hip hop stars, athletes and maybe some cast members of “Love & Hip-Hop” (VH1, 8 p.m.), returning for a third season.
“Oliver Stone’s Untold History of the United States” (Showtime, 8 p.m.) is moving closer to modern times.
It’s an anabaptist double feature when “An Amish Murder” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.) and “Amish Grace” (Lifetime, 10 p.m.) play back to back.
A new site of artifacts from the feud are found in Hatfield-McCoy country on “American Pickers” (History, 9 p.m.).How much do they have to spend to get a Herman Miller chair on “Market Warriors” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings)?
Jack Wagner guest stars on a new “Castle” (ABC, 10 p.m.).
“Layover with Anthony Bourdain” (Travel, 9 p.m.) stops in Dublin for a day and a half.
A new season starts for the caustic but often hilarious “The Burn with Jeff Ross” (Comedy Central, 10:30 p.m.).
It’s the final night of post-midnight “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC, 12:15 a.m.), so there’s a night of reminiscing over highlights from the past decade before Tuesday’s new 11:35 p.m. start, head to head against Jay and Dave.
Also of note late night is the return of both “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” (Comedy Central, 11 p.m.) and “The Colbert Report” (Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m.) after three weeks off.
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Betty White, Sean Lowe. The View: Jessica Lange. The Talk: Matthew Perry, Michael Yo, Keri Glassman. Ellen DeGeneres: Courteney Cox, Kevin Hart.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Michael Strahan, Jessica Chastain, Conor Maynard. Jay Leno: Bill Maher, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Miguel. Jimmy Fallon: Betty White, Jeff Ross, Sky Ferreira. Craig Ferguson: Billy Gardell, Krysten Ritter. Carson Daly: Chuck Zito, Rian Johnson, Estelle (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Michael Chiklis (rerun). Jon Stewart: Anne Hathaway. Stephen Colbert: Kathryn Bigelow. Conan O’Brien: Courteney Cox, Chris D’Elia, Dan Soder. Chelsea Handler: Timothy Olyphant, John Caparulo, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Brad Wollack.